Indoor parlor miniature football game



Aug.- 14,

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Filed Dec. 30, 192'?- M E YARAUS INDOOR PARLOR MINIATURE FOOTBALL GAME ment of chance. vent a game that will hold the interest of Patented Aug. 1 4, 192 8 siren STATE-S P 1 rear MORRIS YARAUS, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS rnnoon raanoa MINIATURE FOOTBALL GAME.

Application filed December 30, 1927. Serial No. 243,743.

the participants and onlookers because of the great degree of skill necessary to successfully play the game. Although a miniature of the popular sport-known as football, this game is played for the most part according to the rules of the outdoor game, with such necessary changes incorporated to meet the exigencies of the particular situations which arise in this game and may or may not exist in the outdoor game.

The principal object of my invention therefore, is an. improved indoor football game in which skill is the predominating element. I

Other objects and novel features of the construction and arrangement of parts constituting my invention will appear as the deseripti on of the invention progresses.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the preferred form of my invention, 7

Fig. 1 is a plan view of. a miniature foot ball field; A 1

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of one of the ten-yard lines showing the completion of a successful first down;

Fig. 3 is similarto Fig. 2, but showing the ball slightly over'the line resulting in loss of the ball to the opposing team;

Fig. at is also similar to Fig. 2 showing 7 a successful forward pass;- 7

Fig. 5 similar to Fig. 4, showing an unsuc-Q ccssful forward pass;

Fig. 6 shows the method of using the ball forrushing or forward-passing;

7 shows the method of using theball for a kick-off, kicking afield goal or punting, and r Fig. 8 is a cross section taken on line of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Fig. 1, 10. designates a flat board of suitable material upon which is printed or otherwise indicated a minature football field corresponding with the regular gridiron with the exception, that, in this game,'only the tenyard lines are shown as indicated at 11, with thinner lines 12 to each'side of the ten-yard lines 11, to denote what is called the forward-pass zone It will be-observed that of the operation of the the ten-yard lines 11 are of varying width. The center line or thefifty-yard line is the heaviest, with the thickness of the other lines diminishing so that the goal lines indicated by the letters G are the thinnest. These lines are so constructed 'becausewhen the ball is being advanced by the rusher, the rules provide that he mustnot. allow any portion of the ball to go beyond the ten-yard line that he is attempting to gain.

At right angles to the ten-yard lines 11,

are short lines 13 bisecting the ten-yard lines 11,.provided for the purpose ofenabling the players to place the ball in play after it has been kicked or rushed out of bounds. At 1 1, I have provided miniature goal posts designed with feet '15, comprising thin flat position. The goal posts are located at a position corresponding to ten yards to the rear of each goal line At 16, l have indicated a football in the 1 disks adapted to hold the posts in an upright "shape of a disk upon which is printed or otherwise indicated the conventional outline" of a football as used in an outdoor contest. 8

One side of the ball 16 is convened. as illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the opposite side of which is depressed inthe central'portion and further provided with rounded rim 17 adapted to lie flat upon the board 10. The

purpose of the design and shape of the ball will be further described in the description game. At 18,1 have provided a stylus adapted to be held between the fingers of the players for the purposeof advancing the ball either by rushes, punts or kick-off also 7 further describedin the following description of operation. i v

In operation, the field or board 10, is

placed upon a table or other flat surface, and

the opposing teams or players, comprising two in number, sit at opposite ends of the field, each player being furnished with a sty- Inn 18, to be used in manipulating the ball.

A coin may be tossed to determine which player shall elect to kick or receive the ball.

The winner of the toss having made his choice, the opposing player places the ball on his own forty yard line with the convened side of the ball underneath. He then places the stylus against the inside edge of the rim 17 and by exerting pressure upon the ball and gradually sliding the stylus away from the ball until it slides over the edge or rim F17 and down on to the board or field 10,

' particular'ten-yard line ,which he is attemptponent may now ,kick or return the ball to J the first player by reversing it so that the in the loss of the down.

causing the ball to jump into the air and away toward the opponents side of the field. At that point, the receiving team takes the ball, butbet'ore rushing it, turnsit so that the convex side is uppermost. The rushing team now must advance the ball to a point exactly on one of the ten-yard lines as indi-' cated in Fig. 2 but not less than ten yards. He'is given four attempts or downs, and

should the ball go over or fail toreach the ing to make, he loses the ball to the 'op pos- 'ing player. During this part of the play,

the forward edge of theball is the determining point with respect to the ten-yard line as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The opconjvexed side is down and kicking, in the same manner as previously described, as far as he is-able. Then his opponent takes the ball and attempts to work it down the field.

Aplayer may try a forward passlby specifically announcing thezzone'which he is attempting to gain, and should the ball fail to place exactly within the zone, it shall result In Fig. l, I have indicated a successful forward pass. due to'the fact that the ballhas stopped within the zone lines 12 while at Fig. 5 .the ball has protruded beyond the Y zone lines 12 and is therefore unsuccessful.

When the ball is being advanced with the convexed side uppermost, the action of the stylus-on the rounded edge of the ball moves the ball along the field without jumping it asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6; but if the ball is being kicked or punted the convexed side is turned under and the-ball qumpsmtothe air on an arc as shown in Fig. 7. i

It will readily be seen that the distance which the ball travels'will depend on the .skill of the player in manipulating the stylus in connection with the ball, and herein I have devised a unique'teature, and while I have described my'invention somewhat in detaihit is to be understood that I mayvary' the size, shape and arrangement of parts constituting my invention within wide limits without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having now described my invention, What I claim .as new, is

1. An improved indoor tootball'game comprising a: football gridiron, said gridiron marked 0E in yard lines, said yard lines provided with parallel zone lines, a ball com- .posed of a disk, said disk convexed on one sideand'concaved on the otherside, a stylus adapted to move. the ball horizontally along the said gridiron when brought in contact with the convexed edge of said ball and to raise the ball in an are when contacted with the concaved side of said ball, portable goal. postsadapted to be erected at each end of i said gridiron.

2.111 an indoor football game, a gridiron divided into several zones by means of linesv of varying thickness extending across the gridiron at ninety degrees to the long side of said gridiron, sub-zone lines paralleling and adjacent to said heavy main zone lines{ 3. An improved indoor football game comprising in combination, a gridiron composed of several main zone lines of an increasing thickness toward the center'ot the said gridiron corresponding to the fifty-yard line of a regulation gridiron, a ball composed of a disk concavedon one side and convexed on the other side, a prime mover adapted to base in varying degrees of an are when said ball presents its'concaved surfaceuppermost, goal posts movably located'on said base and adjacent its ends thereof.

In witness whereof, I subscribe my name this 16th davof February, 1928.

MORRIS. EDWARD YARAUS'. 

